


October 2019 Fests

by mansikka



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: Fluff, Hangover, Hopeful Ending, M/M, October Prompt Challenge, Post-Break Up, Snowball Fight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-10
Updated: 2019-10-10
Packaged: 2020-10-17 20:29:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20627087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mansikka/pseuds/mansikka
Summary: Ficlets for the various fests going on in October.2nd: Flufftober (snow)/ Whumpter (explosion) - To The Park6th: Whumptober (dragged away - but not really whump!!) - Ice Cream For Breakfast10th: Flufftober (party - but not really fluff! Hopeful though!) - Starting Over





	1. To The Park

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! 
> 
> Here are a few ficlets for the various fests going on in October, namely Flufftober, Whumptober, and Tentacletober. I'm splitting these into four separate works for the four ships I write for, and for longer oneshot pieces they'll be posted as separate fic. As I'm sure everyone else has done, all these prompts have been used as a guide only; I have Whumptobers that are mostly fluff and Flufftobers that are pretty sad. And there's smut thrown in there for some of them too; hurray! I'll tag and warn as appropriate as I post; happy October!
> 
> Prompts put together/arranged by (on Tumblr):
> 
> Flufftober - @giucorreias
> 
> Whumptober - @whumptober2019/ @la-vie-en-whump
> 
> Tentacletober - @lynne-monstr

Nico yells in surprise for the hard thwack of a snowball to the back of his head. He can hear Levi _giggling_, can see the sleeve of his black jacket peeking out from behind a tree. He shudders as the snow slides down his hair, and the ice water begins to trickle down his neck beneath his scarf. Any thoughts of retaliation are put on hold as he tries to fish a piece of that melting snow from out of his collar, failing because of the thickness of his gloves.

He ducks with an _oof_ as another snowball comes flying in his direction. Levi is _good_ at this, Nico thinks as he almost slips and rights himself, braced on the hood of a car. His scowl must be a fierce one for the shriek of laughter Levi gives him as he steps out from his hiding place behind the tree. How is he supposed to be _angry_ when Levi looks so delighted with himself?

Though he still scrapes up snow from the car's hood, shaping it into a large, heavy globe. He almost drops the thing for the way Levi is dancing at him like a peacock taunting him to take aim. Though before Nico can let the snowball fly there is a cracking sound from the branches of Levi's tree. Nico watches as an explosion of snow comes free raining down on Levi leaving him spluttering and slipping to the ground.

Nico jogs across the path laughing as Levi sprawls out on his back, half-heartedly making a snow angel as he looks up at him. Levi holds out his hand to be helped up but only ends up tugging Nico down on top of him, giggling as they huddle together on the grounds of the park. What other mischief are they going to get up to here? They've only been out of the car for five minutes...


	2. Ice Cream For Breakfast

"So. I hear you had to be dragged away from the karaoke last night."

Nico groans and presses his face into his pillow. _Levi's_ pillow really; he felt him jostling the bed earlier as he climbed out of it and grabbed it to him as consolation prize for being in bed alone. Though even that movement had made the room spin. It's entirely possible that Nico is still _drunk_.

"They were playing your song," Nico protests half-heartedly. Why does it hurt to even _speak_?

"Which?"

"All of them."

"All of my songs?" Levi repeats, the laughter in his voice a balm on Nico's poorly head.

"_Yes_."

"Which?"

"_All_ of them. Every song makes me think of you."

Nico scowls for the _aww_ he hears pressing his face deeper into Levi's pillow, forgetting he isn't supposed to move. If he moves, the room will _get_ him. He has to keep perfectly still until it goes away.

"Well. I think we should just be glad that you're not working until tomorrow," Levi says as he sits on the bed beside him. When Nico cracks one eye open after several attempts to coordinate all the body parts necessary for such a maneuver, he can see Levi's thigh, and a tray balanced in his lap.

"What's that?" Nico asks, jabbing him in the leg. He'd meant to wrap his hand around it but his arm isn't quite ready to move.

"Water. Advil. And ice cream, since you insist it's the best thing for a hangover."

Nico's stomach boils for the thought, making him curl in a ball as he gags against even the reminder of the taste of food. 

"Am I going to need to spoon feed you?" Levi asks. Nico sighs for the gentle fingers pushing the hair back from his forehead, glad that Levi is a doctor. A doctor won't recoil at the sweatiness of his hair, or the clamminess of his skin, after all.

"Eat it for me."

"It doesn't really work like that."

"Hey. How did I get home?" Nico asks then, trying to fit all the puzzle pieces in his brain to form a picture that makes sense. Someone's stolen all of his corner pieces though, and every one of them has a sharp edge. How's he supposed to tell them apart?

"I got a call from Link. A loud one. Said your work night out was better off ending since you were apparently insistent on singing, and some other guy wanted to start a brawl."

"You picked me up?"

"Almost literally," Levi agrees, with obvious laughter in his voice.

"I probably _squashed_ you," Nico says with a mournful sigh. He needs _comfort_. So he bargains with his arm to raise up a little, humming in approval when Levi scoots across the bed and lets Nico's arm drop across his knees.

"Roll over for me? Just for a spoonful," Levi asks. How is Nico supposed to resist _that_ voice? He presses a kiss to Levi's hip then tells his limbs they will cooperate as he pushes himself up, dropping his head on Levi's shoulder in exhaustion when sat upright. 

Nico keeps his eyes closed as Levi feeds him ice cream, falling asleep as Levi tells him about his plans for the day.


	3. Starting Over

Nico can't make out a single lyric of the music playing in the background. He's been at this party for exactly fifteen minutes, and already knows he shouldn't have come. How is he supposed to enjoy himself, or celebrate being here, when he knows after it's over, he'll be going back to an empty home?

The apartment is sterile without Levi in it, even though Levi's never set a foot inside. Why would he, when he is now so far away, getting on with his life without him? They never even really had a goodbye. By the time Link had organized Nico's leaving party, Levi had pulled away from him enough to soften the blow of them parting. Greeting each other only with wistful smiles across Joe's when Levi finally arrived after his shift, for all they could have been.

Nico can't stop thinking of the look on Levi's face at the end of that evening. Should he have pushed harder for Levi to follow him to San Francisco? Should he have stayed _there_ for Levi even if this job he's in now is the opportunity of a lifetime, one that he'll never get again?

Nico knows he couldn't have stayed, though also doesn't recall when _leaving_ ever hurt this much. Though what is he supposed to do to make things any different? He can't. Levi made it clear he doesn't want to keep in touch. _I don't want to be penpals. I haven't had a penpal since I was twelve_… Nico can still hear his voice, closes his eyes as he replays the words, feeling like he's only just heard them instead of weeks ago.

The volume of the music increases and distracts him. Nico finds himself moving to it as he makes his way around the room with a drink, smiling at the few faces he already recognizes. All those new names to learn. All those people he'll work with. How is he supposed to walk through his new hospital's halls without that _hope_ in his heart that Levi might be just around the corner, waiting to wink at in greeting, let their fingers brush together in passing, and even, when no one is looking, pull him in for a kiss?

Nico _has_ to make it work here. If he is giving up the one relationship he thinks he's ever felt equal in, lost sleep over losing, agonized over putting his career on hold for to make right, then he is damn well going to throw his all into this opportunity. His life can become nothing but work, dedicating it to being the very best he can be. So when he lies awake at night missing Levi like he's left a part of himself behind because Levi isn't here with him, he'll hopefully be too exhausted to dwell on how much he's hurting for too long. And if not, well. There are extra shifts he can take, specialties he can try, all kinds of career-oriented things he can turn to, because his career is more important than home, and comfort, and love. Isn't it?

"Hey, Nico. Someone's looking for you."

Nico's mask slips back into place with an easy smile for… is his name _Steven_? He follows the point of his finger across the room, and the entire world stops. Levi, wearing the shirt Nico loves most on him, wearing glasses because he doesn't like flying wearing contacts, bag slung over his shoulder and giving him a nervous smile.

Nico has forgot breathing, and speaking, and anything that requires rational thought. He storms across the room with his heart hammering against his ribcage, closing the gap between them with his hands already out to cup his face. He registers the brightness in Levi's eyes for only a second before claiming a relieved kiss, closing his eyes for the tight sling of arms around his waist drawing him near.

"I love you. And I know that you love me. We'll figure this out," he hears Levi saying, muffled into his shirt since he's now hugging him so tight.

Nico only squeezes him tighter, thanking whoever is watching over him for giving him a second chance. For giving him back the love of his life.


End file.
